JJ Redick sends strong message on Lakers' pursuit of Dan Hurley

JJ Redick was not offended by the Los Angeles Lakers’ very public pursuit of Dan Hurley.

The Lakers ultimately decided to hire Redick, who was introduced during a press conference on Monday. However, Hurley turned down a six-year, $70 million offer from the Lakers, choosing instead to stay at UConn.

Redick understood that the Lakers were considering all of their options, especially someone as experienced as Hurley.

“At no time was my ego bruised or my feelings hurt in any way,” Redick told reporters.

Pelinka says Redick was ‘plan A’ for Lakers

Hurley’s pursuit was very public. But Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka maintains Redick was part of “Plan A” of who they wanted to pursue to replace Darvin Ham.

“Happy to talk more about the whole process at another time,” Pelinka said. “Right from the beginning, (Redick) was part of our Plan A coaching group that we really wanted to explore.”

Pelinka said the hiring process helped him build a strong foundation with Redick, which will be important as they move forward.

“I think the most important thing is that throughout the process, JJ and I had direct and constant communication to keep each other updated on what he was going through in his previous job with the NBA Finals. I kept him informed of the research,” Pelinka said. “Sometimes before a partnership is forged, when you can have truly honest conversations before you actually become partners, it can solidify the relationship. towards each other, even in the midst of what was happening in the media, I think it actually strengthened our trust and our belief in working together.

Anthony Davis ‘very involved’ in Redick Hire

One of the biggest voices in Redick’s hiring was star Anthony Davis. The nine-time All-Star made his opinions known on who he wants to be the next Lakers coach.

“Anthony Davis chose to be very involved,” Pelinka said. “He was very excited for today.”

On the other hand, LeBron James did not participate in the coach search. James is considering his future with the Lakers and also had a pre-existing relationship with Redick, with the two hosting a podcast together.

“He didn’t give any advice. LeBron and I didn’t talk about the Lakers job until Thursday afternoon, about 30 minutes after I was hired,” Redick said. “I understood that he didn’t want to be involved in this. And for my part, I didn’t want to go down the road of assumptions with someone I consider a friend and for whom I have a lot of respect.

James is considering a player option worth around $51 million. He has until June 29 to decide if he wants to join. But even if James decides to step down, that doesn’t mean he’s leaving Los Angeles. He could re-sign to return to the Lakers, which could net him more money and years on his contract. James has not been a free agent since 2018, when he decided to join the Lakers.